FAIRFAX, Va., Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Information technology security, big data analysis and interoperability are three of the hottest topics today, particularly in light of questions about how much personal information government agencies are collecting and how they are sharing it. Subject matter experts share their insights and solutions concerning these matters in three free white papers that can be downloaded from the SIGNAL Online Resource Library. They look at technologies and a business model that ensure that organizations that collect information can keep it safe and share it appropriately.

In its paper about secure multi-domain keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) and video routing systems, specialists at Thinklogical LLC emphasize the need for security as well as resilience. They believe people—not technology—are the biggest threat to information security. "The focus of an attack is either to steal content, disrupt the operation of the system, or both," experts at the Thinklogical Design Center state. To address this issue, as well as the need for systems that can bounce back after inevitable attacks, the authors share five key design criteria that are applicable to businesses as well as government agencies.

Although securing systems is paramount, locating actionable intelligence from mounds of data also is important to national security as well as businesses. Experts at SAS Institute Incorporated, explain their company's approach in a paper about using advanced analytics to facilitate intelligence analysis. Their methodology enables disconnected data to be linked to answer complex questions. "Rather than requiring analysts to know precisely what to look for at any given moment, advanced analytics with built-in alert systems can be set up to proactively identify, prioritize and present information to analysts based on pattern identification and quantification of risk," they explain.

Once data is secure and analyzed for kernels of value, it is most valuable when shared. A lack of interoperability among systems hinders the process, and specialists at Real-Time Innovations (RTI), say that interoperability is more than just a technical challenge and involves licensing and pricing policies for key system software.

Authors of the white paper titled "A Business Model for an Interoperable World" define the problem and offer an alternate to the usual solutions. "Now that the technical hurdles are being overcome, industry must tackle the primary business challenge that could impede further progress: the ability of teams across projects and programs to collaborate in the development of shared infrastructures and data models," they say.

In addition to material offered by companies, the Resource Library features articles written by AFCEA committees about insider threat, identity verification and credentials, secure mobility and risk mitigation.

AFCEA International, established in 1946, is a non-profit organization serving its members by providing a forum for the ethical exchange of information, and dedicated to increasing knowledge through the exploration of issues relevant to its members in information technology, communications and electronics for the defense, homeland security and intelligence communities. www.afcea.org